Soccer coaches, although not prominently featured in the foreground, are essential to the outcomes of the sport. They are key figures between athletes and organizational goals. Choosing, retaining, and developing the greatest athletes is the cornerstone to a successful coaching career. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire that was determine the characteristic soccer coaching styles. A experimental study involved the participation of 207 soccer coaches (B, A and PRO UEFA coaching license). The questionnaire comprises 14 themes and consists of 65 items designed to evaluate soccer coaching styles, developed from the updated Leadership Scale for Sport. The validation of the developed instrument in this empirical study was conducted using two procedures: (1) factor analysis (PCA with oblique rotation) and (2) an internal consistency assessment (Scale Reliability Analysis – Cronbach's Alpha). Nineteen significant factors were extracted, and they are as follows: Player contribution to the game system; Cooperation/ Opinions; Implementation of coach's requirements; Teaching; Motivation; Conflict resolution; Informations; Sanction; Expressing an opinion; Error correction at own discretion; Highlighting the good and bad sides of players; Instructions; Team goal setting; Highlighting positivism/ negativism; The coach's personal expectations; Team solutions; Strategy creation; Social support; The influence of the team on coaching decision-making. By analyzing the data, it was determined that “B” football coaches are characterized by the coaching style "positive feedback", “A” soccer coaches by the "training and instructor" and "positive feedback" styles, while “PRO” coaches are characterized by the "positive feedback" style and a slightly lower frequency by the "training and instructor" style. Using only one coaching/leadership style is certainly a limiting factor, as different situations require different coaching approaches.

The association between movement screening and physical fitness testing in athletes is conflicting, and therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between Functional Movement Screen (FMS) performance and physical performance in elite female youth football players. Twenty-two players from the national U16 team of Bosnia and Herzegovina underwent FMS and physical performance tests, including speed, agility, and jump assessments. Jump and speed performance score correlated well with ASLR, while the overall FMS score was not associated with any of the performance variables. These findings suggest that while certain movement patterns may impact athletic performance, the relationship between movement screening and physical performance is delicate. Coaches and practitioners should consider individual variations and sport-specific demands when interpreting FMS results in order to optimize and maximize athlete performance and reduce injury risks.

Running speed in the form of sprinting is one of the most important abilities that can significantly define performance success in many sports. From the perspective of genetically inherited motor functions, running speed can be classified as a primary phylogenetic human movement, manifested in the form of a “threesegment model” consisting of speed, power, and coordination. By comprehensively analyzing the general and partial predictive contributions of dynamic-kinematic parameters of running, speed-power abilities, and morphological characteristics, on a sample of 80 boys aged 10-12 years, it can be concluded that regardless of the choice of criteria, achieved maximal speeds (KVMAX) or results in children’s athletic sprint over 50 meters (KT50m), the same or related predictor variables contributed to the explanation. The variable running time for 20m from a flying start (KTLS20m) has the greatest predictive contribution (β=0.83, p<0.001) to explaining both criteria, which may indicate the importance of conducting this test in the identification and selection for athletic sprint. Additionally, the selection of tests to assess speed-power abilities is extremely important for the identification and selection for athletic sprint. It can be concluded that tests of horizontal and vertical jumps are significant for identification, as well as tests for assessing neuro-muscular excitation. Tests for assessing continuous horizontal jump are also important, although there is an impression that, in boys aged 10-12 years, coordinatively simpler tests should be used. In the analysis of morphological characteristics, variables that significantly contributed to the explanation of criteria at a partial level were body height, back skinfold, and ankle diameter, indicating that in the identification of talented individuals, it should be considered that elite sprinters are characterized by light bones, optimal muscle mass, and low levels of subcutaneous fat tissue.

Introduction: The positive effects of static stretching exercises (SS) on physical fitness and rehabilitation are well established, but the effect on general health and physical fitness, including muscle function, flexibility, and activities of daily living at the individual level are less well understood. The objective of this systematic review was to compile the latest research on the effects of SS on general health and different occupational groups with regards to improving or maintaining general health. Material and methods: This review followed PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, MEDLINEOnline medical articles, and Science Direct databased were searched from 2010 to 2022 (including 2022) using the search string ‘static stretching effects OR muscle stretching exercises AND rehabilitation AND injury prevention’. Results: Th e database search yielded 799 articles of which 20 remained after elimination according to the selection criteria. The articles found that the effect of SS, regardless of the protocol used or whether it is active or passive, has a positive effect on the health status of the subjects. SS can reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD), improve respiratory muscle function in patients after a stroke with hemiparesis, improve lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and can be used in pregnancy to reduce the risk or pre-eclampsia. Conclusion: SS is an effective and safe method for improving flexibility and ROM, preventing muscle atrophy, enhancing physical functioning, and improving quality of life with minimal risk of injury.

Introduction Basketball is a fast-paced intermittent team sport, wherein the players must exhibit different morphologies and fitness levels depending on their position. The aim of this study was to assess the differences in the athleticism of basketball players by playing positions and in its relations with body composition and anthropometric measures. It was hypothesized that calculated athleticism has stronger and better predictive relations with morphology compared to motoric tests alone. Methods 47 basketball players were divided into three groups according to playing position [guards (n = 14), forwards (n = 22), centers (n = 11)]. Body composition and anthropometrical measurements were done for all players. Athleticism was presented in terms of overall (OFS), jumping (JFS) and sprinting (SFS) fitness scores. Results Fitness scores were found to be more strongly related to body composition and anthropometry measurements than motoric tests alone. All three fitness scores were moderate to strongly correlated with skinfold thickness and fat percentage, while body height, fat-free mass, and lean body mass were positively correlated. Significant differences in athleticism fitness scores were found between guards and other groups. Forwards displayed superior athleticism in power and sprint abilities when compared to guards and centers. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that fat percentage, lean muscle mass, skinfold thickness, and arm span exhibited strong predictive capabilities in relation to athleticism scores. Conclusions Coaches and practitioners should be aware that athleticism includes a multitude of components, and they should use athleticism assessments before designing training regimens that are tailored to each position's unique needs.

Player performance in an intense sport such as basketball is known to be related to attributes such as speed, agility, and power. This study presents a comparative analysis of associations between anthropometric assessment and physical performance in different age groups of elite youth basketball players, while simultaneously identifying the predictors for speed and agility in these players. U14 (n = 44), U15 (n = 45), and U16 (n = 51) players were tested for anthropometry, lower-body power, speed, and agility. U16 players were found to be taller, heavier, more muscular than U14 and U15 players. In addition, the U16 group showed better performance in all performance tests. Age had a significant positive correlation with countermovement (CMJ) and drop jump (DJ) performance in U14 players, and a significant negative correlation with 15m and 20m sprint times in the U15 group. CMJ and DJ emerged as the most significant predictors for sprint and agility variables, respectively. Body fat percentage was found to be a significant predictor for the speed and agility tests in all age groups, but a negative lower-body power predictor. Therefore, besides all sport-specific and fitness tests, it is essential to place emphasis on the percentage of body fat when designing players’ individualized training programs, and during team selection.

The study aimed to investigate differences in anthropometry, body composition (BC), and somatotype in young football players of the same chronological age according to the maturity stage. Overall, 64 elite players (age: 14.28 ± 0.46 years) were evaluated for standing and sitting body height, girth measures, and BC using the bioelectric impedance scale and skinfold thickness. In total, two-thirds (73.44%, n = 47) of football players were classified as on-time maturers, 12.50% (n = 8) were early maturing, and 14.06% (n = 9) were late maturing. Standing and sitting height, leg length, fat-free mass, and muscle mass were significantly different (p < 0.001) across maturity groups. A significant decrease (p < 0.05) with maturity progression was seen for subscapular and suprailiac skinfolds along with a girth increase at all sites (p < 0.05). Early maturers were balanced ectomorphs, while on-time and late maturers featured mesomorph–ectomorph characteristics. The obtained results suggested that mature players have better BC presented as a lower fat percentage along with higher muscle mass, advantages in circumferences, and longitudinal dimensions of the body with highlighted mesomorph features. Maturity can have a substantial influence on body measures, thereby affecting sport-specific performance. Early maturers can use their anthropometric advantages and compensate for a lack of talent, consequently preventing even participation of physically undeveloped players in training. A better understanding of maturity, BC, and somatotypes can help in the selection of young talented players.

Elite female karatekas should have specific morphological characteristics suitable for their specializations. This study aimed to determine the differences in morphological characteristics and body composition of female karatekas according to different specializations. This study consisted of a total of 15 female karatekas divided according to specialization in kumite (fighting) and kata (form or movement pattern) disciplines. The subject sample included healthy, female senior karatekas, with no prior injuries divided into kumite (n-8, 22.75±4.65 years) and kata (n-7, 22.00±4.58 years) athletes. Morphological characteristics and body composition were evaluated by a battery of 11 variables: body height (BH), body mass (BM), triceps skinfold (TS), biceps skinfold (BiS), back skinfold (BS), abdominal skinfold (AS), upper leg skinfold (UlS), lower leg skinfold (LlS), body mass index (BMI), fat percentage (FP), and muscle mass percentages (MP). Based on the t-test for small independent samples, findings showed that female kata and kumite karatekas do not have different morphological characteristics. Although there was no difference in morphological characteristics, for more complete conclusions an analysis should be performed on a larger sample of elite female karate athletes.

High handgrip strength in men’s artistic gymnastics is crucial, mainly for improving performance and to potentially prevent injuries, as well as for the fact that gymnasts body movements are around immovable apparatuses (pommel horse, rings, parallel bars and high bar) for the extended period of time. Since there are not so many studies that have dealt with this topic and on actual competition, we have aimed to examine the handgrip strength influence on the competition result in elite male artistic gymnasts. The sample of participants were conducted of 37 elite male artistic gymnasts (8–21 years old), from 8 different countries as national team competitors at the International Competition “Laza Krstić and Marica Dželatović” held in Novi Sad, Serbia. Basic anthropometric measurements were included (body height, body weight and Body Mass Index (BMI)), along with training experience and handgrip strength measurement (both dominant and nondominant hand). Kolmogorov-Smirnov Z test (p < 0.05) was used for distribution normality, along with regression analysis with Model 1 (participants age, training experience, body height, body weight and BMI), Model 2 (Model 1 + dominant handgrip strength) and Model 3 (Model 1 + nondominant handgrip strength). SPSS v.20 was used for all statistical analysis. Our study have revealed that there is significant influence of all 3 Models on the parallel bars final result (p = 0.33; p = 0.49; p = 0.31, respectively), in terms of all set of variables, whereas body weight Beta scores (28.6%; 30.3%; 32.7%, respectively) moslty explains the results. Both dominant and nondominant handgrip strength are influential factors only on the parallel bars final result. Since both hands are contributing equally, bilateral training is necessary. In order to expand the knowledge on this topic and completely understand the influential factors, future studies are needed on this sample. Regardless of our main findings, our results should be taken with caution.

Aim of this paper was to examine the contribution of football experience and the self-assessment of tactical/technical skills and social competencies on the perceived self-efficacy in junior and senior football players. A total of 164 football players from Bosnia & Herzegovina have taken part in the research, 79 of which were professional senior players and 85 were professional U18 (junior) players. Three measuring instruments were used in the research: A questionnaire on general information, a self-assessment scale of self-efficacy for football players and a scale for estimating tactical/ technical and social competencies in football was used to gather data. Based on the results and the conducted analyses, it is indicative that the model that encompasses the length of football experience and a self-assessment of tactical/technical and social competencies in senior football players contributed around 8.5% to the total explanation of perceived self-efficacy. In senior players, the length of experience has a greater significance in perceived self-efficacy compared to the perceived success in performing football elements. The set model doesn’t have an equal contribution in junior players, where the model entirely contributed with 14.3% of the explanation of perceived self-efficacy, and the perceived success of performing football elements also has a statistically significant contribution. So, the model which encompasses football experience and the perceived success in performing football elements (tactical/technical and social competencies in football) is not equally predictive in junior and senior players.

We aimed to investigate whether the addition of whole-body vibration (WBV) to resistance training (RT) will be more beneficial in improving lower limbs muscle strength, power and sprinting performance than RT alone in young basketball players. We recruited 30 young basketball players to participate in four weeks of training and assessments. They were randomized into the WBV resistance training group (VRTG, n=15) and a conventional resistance training group (RTG, n=15), performed 3 times per week. At the beginning and end of the four weeks a back squat one-repetition maximum (1RMBS), Countermovement jump (CMJ), Squat jump (SJ), 10 meters (10m) and 20 meters sprint (20m) were performed. We found that: a) VRTG when added to RT can induce greater improvements in 1RMBS (percentage difference [PD], 8.4%, p < 0.001), CMJ (PD = 4.7%, p = 0.001) and SJ (PD = 1.6, p = 0.02) than RT alone. In contrary, significant time*group interactions were found for sprint times at 10m (p=0.08, F=3.2) and 20m (p=0.17, F=1.93). An additional 4-week WBV resistance training program proved effective in improving lower limb power and strength in young basketball players. When performed on a vibration platform (with accurate and constant vibration stimulus parameters), the resistance exercises were superior to their conventional forms and resulted in additional gains on measures of muscle power and strength, while sprint performance remained unchanged.

Considering the growing global problem and the lack of obesity data in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH) the main aim of this paper was to determine BH school-age children body composition and determine the differences in body composition between girls and boys classified in underweight, normal weight and overweight according to the body mass index (BMI) score. 2524 participants 1763 girls and 761 boys (aged 10-13 yrs.) from 32 elementary schools were randomly selected and divided to 3 BMI groups by WHO cut-off points. InBody 370 Body Composition Analyzer (BioSpace, Seoul, Korea), a segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) device was used to gather data. The results showed ~38% of the sample were classified as overweight whilst gender differences showed higher body fat mass and fat percentages in arms, trunk and legs in underweight and normal weight girls and higher skeletal muscle mass in normal weight and overweight boys.

This study aimed to examine the relation between agility, sprint ability, and vertical jump performance of young basketball players. Fifty (n=50) young basketball players (mean±SD: age = 12.63±0.95; height = 160.84±6.31 cm; body mass = 50.82±6.88 kg) participated in the study. The agility T-test and 505 test were assessed to determine agility, 10m and 20m sprint was measured to determine sprint ability and countermovement jump (CMJ) for jumping performance. The results of Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation analysis indicated large to very large relation between agility tests and sprint performance (r = 0.61 to 0.85); agility and jump performance (r = - 0.64 to - 0.67); sprint and jumping performance (r = -0.59 to -0.77). The results of the study suggest that agility, sprint, and jumping performance share common physical demands, therefore it is necessary to develop them during the training.

concept and and/or assembly of data; data analysis and interpretation; Research on moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) is closely connected with primary and secondary cardiovascular protection but also can be associated with primary bypass patency and outcome of endovascular treatment for critical iliac stenosis TASC II A and B. After specific surgical or non-surgical treatment, iliac bypass or endovascular revascularization patency still depends on an individual and is still in the eye of scientific research modalities. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is an efficient surrogate parameter in detection and prediction of cerebrovascular events and potential marker of generalized atherosclerosis with prognosis of peripheral arterial disease related to prognosis of atherosclerotic coronary hemodynamic pathology. Materials and methods. A total of 139 patients were observed during 4 years of MICT. Ultrasonography of the distal part of the common carotid artery (CCA) was performed to measure CIMT before and after revascularization procedure. The bypass patency and walking distance was also studied. Results. In the total population, no difference in changes of CIMT from baseline was observed between the standard exercise group and controls in 4 years. However, there was a significant correlation between the effect of exercise training and CIMT within 4 years. CIMT was not significantly reduced in the exercise group compared with control non-diabetic patients. Conclusions. Exercise training in both groups did not significantly change carotid intima-media thickness in the four years following endovascular procedure and Dacron bypass revascularization, but significant beneficial effect of moderate-intensity continuous training on bypass patency was observed in patients with mild or without claudication symptoms as well as on subjective and objective health status.